Zinfandel is a dry red wine made from black-skinned grapes. Today, it is primarily produced in California, where some of the oldest vineyards in the region grow Zinfandel grapes. But it is also produced in lesser amounts in the Apulia region of Italy. That’s the famous boot heel of Italy. Zinfandel has been grown here since the 18th century – but the Italians refer to it as Primitivo. When you see a wine labeled Primitivo – that’s an Italian Zin!
Zinfandel is known for having intense jammy flavors such as blackberry, boysenberry, and plums and a thick, robust, almost chewy texture. The grapes have a high sugar content that can translate into wines with an alcohol content as high as 15%. Learn more about identifying the aromas, flavors, and textures in this wine tasting lesson.
You may come across Zinfandel wines labeled as “old vine”. It’s generally believed that older, more mature vines produce higher quality fruit than younger plants. A grape vine can easily live for over 100 years. AS the plants age, they produce less grapes, but the grapes that they do produce have more concentrated, intense flavors. Unfortunately, there is no legal definition governing the term “old vine”. It could mean that the vines were 50 years old, or it could just mean that they are older than the 5 year old vines planted next to them. In California Zins, you’re likely to see the designation on vines that are 40+ years old. Similar to when winemakers use the term ‘reserve’ on some wines, the designation has more credibility when its coming from a higher quality producer.
Fun Fact – In the US, many wine drinkers are more familiar with White Zinfandel wines. There s no such thing as a “white zinfandel” grape variety – these wines are in fact produced from the red Zinfandel grapes. To produce white zinfandel, the grape skins are removed from the red Zinfandel grapes before color is transferred to the wine. White Zinfandel was first made by Sutter Home in 1972. It is typically a sweet, mass produced, and usually low quality wine that has largely given Zinfandel a bad name. Nonetheless, because of it’s wide availability and low price point, it outsells red Zinfandel in the US by a 6:1 margin.